Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Book Review Club: Lessons In French

Laura Kinsale has long been one of my favorite romance authors, so I was thrilled to see she had a new book out earlier this year. I bought the Kindle version right away. I was a little surprised to see that it was lighter fare than the books I'd loved in the past, full of angst and flawed characters. But I found Lessons In French to be quite delightful.

Lady Calista's quiet rural life is upset by the return of a neighbor's scapegrace son and her first love. Trev, le duc de Monceaux, aka Thibault LeBlanc, is on the run after being convicted of forgery, but pardoned on the condition he leave the country. His mother is ill and he wants to visit her. When he meets Callie again, he finds that his desire for her is unabated.

I loved both characters. Callie is shy and awkward in company, but intelligent, competent and independent-minded. She has a romantic streak, however, that Trev can always trigger. Trev is a bit of scoundrel, but with a noble streak and Robin Hood tendencies. I've always loved Laura Kinsale's books, so I grabbed this one right away. It's probably her lightest romance, with lots of amusing bits, esp. involving Callie's prize bull Hubert. Trev's mother is also quite funny, with a dry sense of humor. If you like Georgette Heyer, you just might enjoy some Lessons In French!